The Astros are "highly unlikely" to be able to sign first overall draft pick Brady Aiken after the July 18 deadline, according to a person familiar with the situation, who expressed surprise at a report from last week that Aiken could still sign.

Selig was asked by 10News, a San Diego television station, to address Aiken's situation, and he said "We're working on that right now."

"There are a lot of things in movement there, so it would be inappropriate for me to comment," Selig said. "But I would say we are working towards a hopeful solution."

According to the source, the commissioner could have been referring only to Jacob Nix, the Astros' fifth-round draft pick who also went unsigned and has filed a grievance against the team. The Astros could be forced to sign Nix by an arbitrator.

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Scouting report: vs. Texas Rangers

1 Battle for fourth: The Astros took over fourth place in the American League West on July 9 with an 8-4 win over the Rangers in Arlington, completing a three-game sweep that sent the Rangers to the cellar. That was in the Astros' 93rd game of the season. After 41 more games, the Astros haven't relinquished that spot. But with four games this series and three more Sept. 22-24, the Rangers stsill can knock the Astros back to the basement. It's not a pennant race, but it is something to play for.

2 Tripping out: With a 12-4 win over the Mariners on Wednesday in the rubber match of a three-game series, the Rangers have won six of their last 10 road games and 12 of 17. They hadn't won any of their previous five series, losing four and splitting one.

3 New home for Boot?: The Rangers won the Silver Boot the last seven years, starting with 2007. They're in bad shape this year, though. Two more wins in the final seven matchups for the Astros - who are 8-4 against the Rangers this season - lock it up.

Evan Drellich

Probable pitchers

Astros Rangers

Today Collin McHugh (6-9) Nick Tepesch (4-9)

Friday Brett Oberholtzer (4-9) TBA

Saturday Scott Feldman (7-10) Miles Mikolas (2-5)

Sunday Dallas Keuchel (10-9) Nick Martinez (3-9)

But Aiken has not filed a grievance against the Astros. He has a Sept. 1 deadline to do so, although the deadline could be extended.

The precedent of allowing Aiken to sign would be a risky one - and is a decision that can't be made unilaterally. The source reiterated the firmness of baseball's signing deadlines and the impact that Pedro Alvarez and Eric Hosmer's grievance had in 2008.

"The agreement with the MLBPA also clarifies how the August 15th deadline for signing selections in the First-Year Player Draft will be administered in future years," MLB wrote in a news release that year announcing Alvarez's grievance had been resolved. "The agreement makes clear that deadline extensions can be made only by agreement between the Commissioner's Office and the MLBPA."

Altuve, Carterin contention

There's a chance the Astros could finish this year with the top player in the hits, average and home run categories. Not bad for a losing team.

Jose Altuve leads the majors in hits (181) and average (.332). With a little more than a month to go, Chris Carter hit his 33rd homer of the season Wednesday - a solo shot in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss to Oakland. He is one off the leading pace of Baltimore's Nelson Cruz

The homer could have been game-tying were it not for a double play that the preceding batter, Altuve, hit into. The umpires reviewed the call but did not change it.

"I think it's definitely in reach," Porter said of 40 homers. "You look at how he's been swinging the bat, and 40 home runs is definitely in reach and I hope he's able to get it."

Quietly, Altuve has come down to earth a little bit, while still playing well. From July 4 through Tuesday, a 45-game span, Altuve hit .309 with a .345 on-base percentage. In 84 games prior, Altuve hit .347 with a .386 OBP.

His stolen-base pace has dropped dramatically, with just six in the second half and four times caught stealing before he stole two bags Wednesday.

In the first half, Altuve had 41 steals and was caught just three times.

Qualls not goinganywhere

Although teams cannot comment on waiver activity, the Astros clearly pulled Chad Qualls off revocable waivers, because he was still with the team Wednesday. The Tigers claimed Qualls on Monday, and the Astros had until Wednesday afternoon to work out a deal with the Tigers, if they wanted to.

"I know as much as I knew about two days ago, that I had gotten claimed by the Tigers and nothing happened," Qualls said before allowing three runs to Oakland in the ninth inning of a 5-4 Astros loss.

In 10 games at Minute Maid Park this season, the Athletics have scored 55 runs. Twenty-five of those runs have come in the ninth.

"They're a really good team," manager Bo Porter said of Qualls' struggles against the A's. "They've got good players."

Odds and ends

Lefthander Darin Downs (right oblique) is scheduled to pitch with Class AA Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment on Friday and Sunday, according to manager Bo Porter … Astros TV broadcaster Bill Brown rejoined the booth Wednesday after a two-day absence because of pneumonia.